The almighty one | The greatest power of earth does not sit upon any throne

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by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Allmächtige

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Persian (Farsi)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Die höchste Macht der Erde sitzt auf keinem Thron.
Sie blüht in deinem Angesicht, du Herrliche!
Der Tag wird durch die goldne Sonne nicht erhellt,
Aus deinen Augen fließt das wundervolle Licht!

In deinen schlanken Händen ruht die Macht des Lebens
Und auch die dunkle Macht des Todes, wie du willst.
Du Schlimme tust des [Bösen]¹ ein gehäuftes Maß.
Tu es getrost, der Himmel zürnt dir nicht.

Der Engel Pflicht wär, aufzuschreiben,
Was du Böses tust, sie walten ihres Amtes nicht.
Sie lieben dich.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• R. Strauss

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Strauss: "Bösens"

Text Authorship:

by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946), "Die Allmächtige" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Persian (Farsi) by Hafis (c1327 - 1390) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Die Allmächtige", op. 77 no. 4 (1928), published 1929 [ voice and piano ], from Gesänge des Orients. Nachdichtungen aus dem Persischen und Chinesischen von Hans Bethge, no. 4, Leipzig: F.E.C. Leuckart [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La totpoderosa", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The almighty one", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La toute-puissante", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Alberto Pedrotti , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-23
Line count: 11
Word count: 85

The almighty one

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The greatest power of earth does not sit upon any throne.
It blooms in your visage, you magnificent one!
The day is not brightened by the golden sun,
From out your eyes flows the wondrous light!

In your slender hands rests the might of life
And also the dark might of death, as you wish.
You wicked one, you do a heaping measure of evil.
Do it confidently, heaven is not angry with you.

It would be the duty of the angels to write down
The evil things you do, [but] they do not carry out their charge.
They love you.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946), "Die Allmächtige"
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in Persian (Farsi) by Hafis (c1327 - 1390) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-05-19
Line count: 11
Word count: 101